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Professional Cleaning |
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Service Area |
"Spongebon Co" Cleaning Services |
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For cleaning safety training, & as a great cleaning resource we recommend Jean Hansen's |
Helpful Cleaning Tips Spongebon Cleaning Company To keep your rugs looking clean and fresh there are a few carpet cleaning tips you can use to insure a long life. Stain cleaners and odor eliminators may have a specific use, and if used incorrectly can actually damage your carpets. One of the best carpet cleaning tips is to thoroughly vacuum your rugs on a weekly basis. To do this effectively, a high-power vacuum cleaner needs to be passed slowly over the entire carpet. No matter how strong a suction that is provided, passing it too quickly will not pick up all the dirt. Divide the carpet into fourths, cleaning one section at a time before moving to the next section, operating the vacuum both ways until cleaned. These carpet cleaning tips will remove practically all the dirt, which can cause damage to the fibers of the carpet. Stain removal is another situation where good carpet cleaning tips can come in handy. Many people make the mistake of using a soap-based cleaner and too much liquid on stains. This actually may allow the stain to return or create new ones. Soap-based cleaners, once dry, will still offer a degree of cleaning, this time to shoes and other products with which it comes into contact. Some Cleaners Help Stains Re-emerge The soap will remove dirt from the shoes, leaving it on the carpet. Liquid cleaners, used in excess, will allow the stain to soak into the bottom of the carpet or even into the pad underneath. The stain may appear to be gone, but the liquid will be soaked up from underneath and will probably make the stain reappear. Carpet Cleaning Tips rely on cleaning the carpet and not trying to clean it from underneath. Liquid spills should be blotted with a towel immediately. Otherwise, they could be soaked into the bottom of the rug. Pet urine can be especially damaging to carpets as it can cause the color dyes to be removed, leaving a bleached-out spot. A solution of one teaspoon of mild detergent and one teaspoon of white vinegar mixed with a quarter of water can help eliminate the stain. Most carpet cleaning tips involve not rubbing the stain, which can spread the spot and make it bigger, rather blot the stain. By using a clean towel, place it over the spot and either stand on it for a few seconds or place a heavy object on it to soak up as much of the liquid as possible. For specific carpet cleaning tips for a variety of situations visit www.home.howstuffworks.com. For more information on carpet cleaning from Matthew Meyer see the carpet cleaning section of TheFreeAdForum.com directory at:
www.quickregister.net Green Cleaning - It's a Lot More Simple (And Inexpensive) Than You Think! We hear it all over the place - organic this, green that, natural hear, herbal there. If you're anything like me, a busy, working single mom, you may have put off learning about all this 'Green Hype' simply because you don't have time for one more thing. I understand! And, on top of the time issue, what about cost? If you go through the grocery store produce isles and take a good look, I can guarantee you that anything labeled "organic" is going to cost significantly more than our old pesticide-ridden veggies! Well, there is some good news here. Green doesn't always have to cost more green. Let's take a room by room tour in your home - you just sit back, read, and hopefully you'll learn how easy 'going green' can be! The best part? Except for the need to run get 2 or 3 bottles of inexpensive essential oils, you probably already have most of these ingredients in your home. The Kitchen and Bath Natural Oven Cleaners * 1 cup salt
Take a portion of the powdered mix and add a bit of water to form a paste. Spread over oven surfaces and let set for 30 minutes. Wipe down using white vinegar. 2) Baking soda, water; salt; vegetable oil-based liquid soap. Sprinkle water on oven bottom. Cover with baking soda. Let sit overnight. Wipe off and apply liquid soap with scouring pad. Rinse. 3) Sprinkle/spray water followed by a layer of baking soda. Rub gently with a very fine steel wool pad for tough spots. Wipe off scum with dry paper towels or sponge. Rinse well and wipe dry. Refrigerators: To clean exterior and interior walls, dissolve 2 tbs. baking soda in 1 qt warm water and wipe all surfaces. For stubborn spots, rub with baking soda paste. Be sure to rinse with a clean, wet cloth. (This works well on other enamel-finished appliances as well.) Lavender Antibacterial Spray This spray smells wonderful and can double as a disinfectant and air freshener. It's perfect for garbage cans. * 1 cup warm water
Combine water and oil in a spray bottle and shake well to blend. To use, spray into the air or onto the surface you're disinfecting. Floor Cleaners: 1) A pencil eraser removes heel marks from a floor. 2) For greasy, no-wax floors: * 1 cup vinegar
Combine all ingredients, stirring well to dissolve the washing soda. Mop as usual. All Purpose Cleaners: 1) Vinegar and Salt. Mix together for a good surface cleaner. 2) Dissolve 4 tablespoons baking soda in 1 quart warm water for a general cleaner. 3) Baking soda on a damp sponge. Baking soda cleans and deodorizes kitchen and bathroom surfaces. Scouring Powders: Baking Soda or Dry Table Salt. These are mild abrasives and can be used as an alternative to chlorine scouring powders. Simply put either baking soda or salt on a sponge or the surface, scour and rinse. Non-Abrasive Soft Scrubber: * 1/4 cup Borax
In a bowl, mix the Borax with enough soap to form a creamy paste. Add Lemon oil and blend well. Scoop a small amount of the mixture onto a sponge, wash the surface, then rinse well. Kitchen Sink Scrubber * 1/2 Cup Baking Soda
Combine all ingredients. Try Lime or Bergamot also. Toilet Bowl Cleaners: 1) Sprinkle baking soda into the bowl, then squirt with vinegar and scour with a toilet brush. Cleans and deodorizes. 2) Denture tablets are a great substitute for toilet cleaner. Drop two tablets into the bowl and clean as you would with any other toilet cleaner. Drain Cleaner: 1) For slow drains, use this drain cleaner once a week to keep drains fresh and clog-free. * 1/2 cup baking soda
Pour baking soda down drain/disposal, followed by vinegar. Allow the mixture to foam for several minutes before flushing the drain with boiling water. 2) Another natural drain cleaner * 1 cup baking soda
Place all ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Shake vigorously until well mixed. To use, pour 1/4 cup of the mixture into the drain, followed by 2 cups boiling water. Wait 1 minute, then rinse with tap water. Tub And Tile Cleaners: 1) Sprinkle baking soda like you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge. Rinse thoroughly. 2) To remove film buildup on bathtubs, apply vinegar full-strength to a sponge and wipe. Next, use baking soda as you would scouring powder. Rub with a damp sponge and rinse thoroughly with clean water. Plumbing Fixtures: To clean stainless steel, chrome, fiberglass, ceramic, porcelain or enamel fixtures, dissolve 2 tbsp baking soda in 1 qt of water. Wipe on fixtures then rinse. Mildew Remover: Dissolve half-cup vinegar with half-cup Borax in warm water. Mold Buster: * 2 teaspoons Tea Tree essential oil
Add to a spray bottle, shake before using. Apply to mold and mildew, do not rinse off. Nothing works as well for mold and mildew as Tea Tree. The Living Room(s) Carpets/Upholstery: 1) A great non-toxic carpet stain remover is club soda. Soak spot immediately with soda and blot until the stain is gone. 2) Pet Urine on Carpets: Dab area with toweling to absorb as much as possible, wash spot with liquid dish detergent, and rinse with 1/2 cup vinegar diluted in 1 qt warm water. Lay towels or paper towels over the spot and weight down to absorb excess moisture. Let stand 4 to 6 hours, then remove toweling, brush up nap and allow to dry completely. Use an electric fan to speed drying. or Pour enough baking soda to cover the urine spot very well. Let it set until it's moist and clumpy, vacuum up. Furniture Polish and Scratch Covers: 1) This polish should to be made fresh each time you use it. * 1 Lemon
Extract the juice from the Lemon. Mix with oil and water. Apply a thin coat on your wood surface and let sit for five minutes. Use a soft cloth to buff to a deep shine. 2) Use 3 parts light mineral oil and 1 part Olive Oil and a drop of Lemon juice. 3) Use a soft cloth and wipe with a bit of mayonnaise. 4) Rub furniture with a cloth dipped in cool tea. 5) To remove water stains on wood furniture, dab white toothpaste onto stain. Allow the paste to dry and then gently buff off with a soft cloth. Natural Dusting Spray * 100ml water
Add water to spray bottle, then add chosen Essential Oil. These bacterial oils leave a fresh, clean aroma. Shake well before each use. Glass Cleaners (windows and mirrors): 1) Use undiluted vinegar in a spray bottle or 2) Equal parts vinegar and water in a spray bottle or 3) 1/2 Lemon juice and 2 cups water in a spray bottle or 4) 1/2 cup vinegar or Lemon juice, 2 cups water, 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil based soap (such as Murphy's Oil Soap) 5) No-Streak Glass Cleaner: 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 quart warm water. Mix the ingredients and apply with a sponge or pour into spray bottle and spray on. Wipe dry with crumpled newspaper, buff to a shine. (Use crumpled newspaper instead of paper towels for lint-free results. Wallpaper Cleaner: 1) Roll up a piece of white bread and use it to "erase" marks on wallpaper Air Fresheners/Deodorizers: 1) Place Cloves, Cinnamon sticks, allspice or other favorite scented spice in a pot of water , simmer for 1-2 hours 2) Place baking soda in an open container of your choice. Good for closets, refrigerators and other small enclosed spaces 3) 2-3 slices of white bread absorbs refrigerator odors 4) Dissolve baking soda in 2 cups hot water, add Lemon juice, pour into spray bottle, spray into air as air freshener 5) Place unscented kitty litter placed in bowls to absorb room odors Vacuum Cleaner and Deodorizer Moisten 3 cotton balls with Lavender essential oil (or your favorite citrus oil, I'm partial to lemon) and put them in your vacuum cleaner bag or dirt-bin. Oil Plugin Refills If you use the plugins which come with the small replaceable oil bottles, here's something to try the next time one runs dry. Unplug the unit from the wall and remove the empty oil bottle. Remove the top part of the oil bottle and fill with 35-50 drops of your favorite essential oil and the rest with a carrier oil such as Sweet Almond. In a pinch, you can use a pure vegetable oil from the kitchen. Replace the top, insert it back into the plugin and it's ready to go! Germ-Buster Wipes (I love this one!) Mix equal parts of Lavender, Thyme (or Tea Tree) and Eucalyptus. Use in a spray bottle to Wipe down surfaces in the kitchen and bathroom. Moisten paper towels with this blend and wipe over surfaces. Now, aren't these easy (and inexpensive) ideas? The next time you're out of your Spic N Span or your scented oil plugin runs dry, remember what you learned here. Green cleaning is simple, inexpensive and much healthier for your family. And, just a note, you can add a drop or two of essential oils to most any recipe above. My favorites are lavender and the citrus oils for scent and for antibacterial properties, try Tea Tree. If you don't have any essential oils handy, let me recommend Mountain Rose Herbs - reasonably priced and completely organic - I've ordered from them for years. Happy Greening! Dee Braun, a single mom of 6 kids, is a Certified Aromatherapist, Certified Dr. of Reflexology and a natural health practitioner. You can visit her at Mom's Blog - moms-blog.com - a blog just for moms (and dads!) which offers more information on green living, children's health, child natural remedies and parenting advice and insight. ** You are free to use/reprint this article as long as the Author information/bio AND the link within the article stay active and intact! Care and Cleaning of Replacement Vinyl Windows Vinyl replacement windows are an great way to increase the value and improve the appearance of your home. These windows are extremely durable and will last for many years with proper care. One of the greatest benefits is the ease of care and cleaning. Follow these easy steps to ensure that your vinyl replacement windows can be enjoyed for years to come. Sometimes, your windows will have labels or tape on the glass. Alcohol-based cleaners can remove label and tape adhesive that can be left behind from these labels. Be sure to test the cleaner on a small portion of the glass first. After this is removed, thoroughly wet the glass and rinse with plain water. Glass can be easily cleaned with regular or other ammonia-based glass cleaners. Windex and similar glass cleaning products are ideal. Vinyl (PVC) products can be cleaned with a solution of mild soap and water. For heavier cleaning tasks, the window manufacturer recommends commercially advertised household cleaners. Use any non-abrasive cleaner for tough jobs, avoiding Soft Scrub and similar abrasive products, which may cause damage. Do not use solvents, paint removers or sharp objects to clean your windows and patio doors. If mildew is a problem in your home, use an appropriate cleaner or mildew controller found in any local retail store. The tracks of the sliding and double-hung windows are exposed to the outdoor elements, which can contain abrasive elements such as dirt, leaves, sand, grease, soot, etc. If these elements are not removed, they can be ground into the tracks when the sashes are operated, making operation of these sashes difficult. To avoid this problem, a minimum semi-annual cleaning is recommended. These tracks can be cleaned with a small, stiff, nylon brush, and then wiped down with a soft cloth. If necessary, an occasional light coat of silicone spray lubricant on the track of the sliding window will help to ease the operation of your window without leaving an oily residue, which can collect more abrasive elements. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations for safe use of any chemical or cleaner. Over time, your windows' screens can accumulate dirt and other debris. Screens can be cleaned easily with a soft brush. The type of soft brushes found on some vacuum cleaner accessories are a good example of a suitable brush. Mr. Oliver is a marketing agent of Blue Ridge Exteriors. The home improvement company specializes in the design and installation of fiber cement siding for residential projects in Central Virginia. For more information on their Siding Contracting please visit the website. |
